Piste-preparation device

ABSTRACT

A piste-preparation device for preparing a half-pipe comprises at least one tool adjustably mounted on a piste vehicle, and lateral members which are laterally disposed relative to the tool and can essentially be assigned to side walls of the half-pipe. To prepare a half-pipe even in cases where the surface is hard and, at the same time, to remove a large amount of material, in particular from the half-pipe side walls, each lateral member comprises removal means designed with removal tools which can move substantially transversely to the direction of travel of the piste vehicle.

The present invention relates to a piste-preparation device forpreparing a half-pipe, the device comprising at least one tool which isadjustably mounted on a piste vehicle, and lateral members which aredisposed laterally relative to the tool and can essentially be assignedto half-pipe side walls.

Channel- or trough-like pistes for snowboards are called half-pipes. Forpreparing such a half-pipe, a prior-art piste-preparation devicecomprises side blades laterally arranged on a tool. These side bladesare shaped such that the side walls of the half-pipe can be constructedand prepared with a competition profile.

In the prior-art piste-preparation device of the above-mentioned type,as is for instance known from the journal "InternationaleSeilbahn-Rundschau" May/1993, pages 42-44, however, it has been found tobe a disadvantage that only a small amount of material can be displacedby the side blades and that such a displacement is mainly possible inthe direction of travel alone. Furthermore, it is difficult or evenimpossible to prepare hard surfaces.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to improve apiste-preparation device of the above-mentioned type in such a mannerthat a half-pipe can also be prepared when the surface is hard and, atthe same time, that an increased amount of material can be removed, inparticular from the half-pipe side walls.

This object is achieved in the above-mentioned piste-preparation devicein that each lateral member comprises a removal means designed withremoval tools that are movable substantially in a direction transverseto the direction of travel of the piste vehicle for preparing a pistesurface of the half-pipe. Large amounts of materials can be removed fromthe side walls of the half-pipe by the removal tools which are movablein a direction transverse to the direction of travel. Moreover, materialcan also be removed when the piste vehicle is at a standstill, forinstance, to work the half-pipe at one place more intensively. Theremoval tools are designed such that they can also work on a hard pistesurface.

EP 0 151 757 A2 discloses a snow blower having supply plows laterallydisposed relative to said blower. These supply plows serve to enlargethe entry cross-section of the snow blower. A typical application of thesnow blowers is their use in airfields where high removing and conveyingspeeds are of special importance. Each of the supply plows comprises abelt conveyor element whose plane is in parallel with the plow-shareplane of a plow-share forming the supply plows. The belt conveyorelement comprises a plurality of rib-like projections which are movabletowards the blower wheel of the snow blower. The accumulation of snow infront of the shares is to be prevented by the belt conveyor elements ina simple and inexpensive manner.

EP 0 151 757 A2 is silent about the use of the snow blower in connectionwith half-pipes and also about a treatment of a piste surface, whereasaccording to the invention a piste surface of a half-pipe can also beprepared directly by removal tools of a removal means, apart from thedisplacement of material in a direction transverse to the direction oftravel.

Advantageously, the tool which is adjustably mounted on the pistevehicle is a rotary snow plow having at least one shaft. The half-pipechannel can be excavated by such a rotary snow plow. The shaft of therotary snow plow may, for instance, be provided with two oppositespiral-shaped snow plow means by which snow can be displaced towards thecenter of the piste-preparation device. To remove snow which hasaccumulated there in an easy manner, the piste-preparation devicefurther comprises a blower means which is assigned to the rotary snowplow for displacing snow supplied by the rotary snow plow. A blowermeans of such a type which is known per se comprises a blower wheelassigned to the spiral-shaped snow plow means, by which the snowsupplied by the spiral-shaped snow plow means is fed to an ejectionchimney and is discharged through said chimney. Snow can be removed fromthe half-pipe or supplied to the half-pipe at another place for repairwork or the like by correspondingly orienting the ejection chimney.Corresponding drives and gears for the spiral-shaped snow plow means orthe blower wheel can be controlled with respect to their speeds, so thatthese parts can be controlled with respect to their power, depending onthe respective amount of snow. Moreover, the ejection width above theejection chimney can be determined by the speed for the blower wheel.

It is advantageous, in particular when a half-pipe is constructed or inthe case of a large amount of new-fallen snow, when the removal toolsmove away from the piste-preparation device towards a half-pipe edge andremove entrained material over said edge from the half-pipe. In caseswhere such a material removal by the removal tools over the edge is notpossible or can only be carried out under great difficulties, a movementof the removal tools for removing snow from the half-pipe side wallsessentially towards the rotary snow plow is of advantage. Snow isthereby displaced towards the rotary snow plow and from said snow plowto the blower means. The blower means can remove the snow from thehalf-pipe.

Various means can be used as a removal means as long as these means havecorresponding removal tools which are movable along the half-pipe sidewalls for preparing said side walls. In the case of a simple removalmeans, said means comprises at least one endless chain which a number ofremoval tools project from towards the piste surface and the half-pipeside wall, respectively. Such an endless chain can be used in a simplemanner for continuously treating the half-pipe.

For an easy support of the endless chain, a plurality of wheels and/orrolls are rotatably supported on the lateral member for guiding theendless chain. The endless chain is placed around said wheels or rollsand can be moved continuously. The wheels or rolls can be replaced atleast in part by slide elements which support the endless chain.

To guide the endless chain in an easy manner at least in the area of theside walls of the half-pipe along a corresponding contour, the endlesschain is guided by a plurality of contour wheels/rolls and/or contourslide elements as contour elements along a convexly curved removalsection at a piste side of the lateral member which faces the pistesurface.

Since the removal section extends at least along the side walls of thehalf-pipe, the endless chain can be deflected at the ends of the removalsection. To this end corresponding deflection rolls or wheels arearranged at said ends.

In a very simple case a first deflection roll is arranged next to an endof the snow plow shaft at the valley side relative to the side wall ofthe half-pipe and a second deflection roll is arranged at the snow plowshaft or the end of the lateral member that is opposite to the rotarysnow plow. It is thereby ensured that the removal device transports theentrained material up to a place directly adjacent to the rotary snowplow.

It is of advantage for driving the endless chain when at least one ofthe contour rolls, deflection rolls or a separate roll is designed as adrive roll.

In a simple embodiment of a drive roll, the drive roll may be designedas a toothed roll or as a drive sprocket.

To guide the endless chain in a simple manner, the drive roll may bearranged above the first deflection roll, with the endless chain betweensaid rolls passing through a substantially vertical lifting section andsubsequently through a return section between drive roll and seconddeflection roll. In the lifting section, material which has beenentrained by the removal tools can be supplied to the rotary snow plow.

In a very simple case the rotational axes of all rolls extendsubstantially in parallel with the direction of travel of the pistevehicle or with the direction of movement of the piste-preparationdevice. For instance, the rotational axes of deflection rolls andcontour rolls or wheels may just as well extend upwards slightlyinclined in the direction of travel. As a result, a gap which narrows ina direction opposite to the direction of travel and through which, forinstance, snow positioned in front of the piste-preparation device issupplied in an easier manner to the removal device can be formed betweenendless chain and first surface.

For simplifying the construction and for reducing the costs the endlesschain can be guided along the return section without any support.Depending on the tension of the endless chain as exerted by theremaining rolls or wheels, the endless chain has a more or less greatslack in the return section.

To construct and prepare half-pipes with different cross-sections, eachof the lateral members is adjustably supported relative to the rotarysnow plow at the working angle. Each lateral member can be adjustedseparately. As a result, the side walls of the half-pipe may havedifferent slopes.

In a simple embodiment such a configuration is implemented in that thelateral member is detachably secured to a frame of the rotary snow plowfor supporting the shaft of the rotary snow plow and can be adjusted byan adjusting cylinder between the snow plow frame and lateral member atthe working angle. Thanks to the detachable attachment, a side blade canfor instance be arranged instead of a lateral member with removaldevice, either at one side or also at both sides relative to the rotarysnow plow.

Depending on the configuration of the rotary snow plow, it may be anadvantage when the lateral members are not directly secured to the frameof the rotary snow plow. An intermediate frame may here be arrangedbetween the frame of the rotary snow plow and the lateral member forsupporting and adjusting the lateral member relative to the frame of therotary snow plow and relative to the rotary snow plow, respectively.Such an intermediate frame may just as well be arranged between lateralmember and piste vehicle, whereby the lateral members are supported andare adjustable independently of the rotary snow plow.

To reliably transport material entrained by the removal device throughthe rotary snow plow, it is advantageous when at least the endless chainis arranged in the direction of travel in front of the rotary snow plow.

The removal tools may have the most different shapes. In a simple casethe removal tools are transverse webs integrated into the endless chain.Similar to chain webs formed on the chains of the piste vehicle, theremoval tools may just as well be formed by corresponding chain websprovided on the endless chain. The webs may extend over the entire widthof the endless chain. In a further embodiment the removal tools arescraping elements detachably secured to the endless chain. A pluralityof said scraping elements may, for instance, be arranged side by sideand/or in offset fashion in the width direction of the chain.

Furthermore, it may here be of advantage when the working depth of theremoval tools decreases in the direction of travel. The piste surface inthe area of the half-pipe side walls is thereby first treated by removaltools having a small working depth and then by removal tools having alarger working depth. In the case of transverse webs the working depthcan increase continuously in a direction opposite to the direction oftravel.

For easily leveling again a piste surface of the side parts of thehalf-pipe, the piste surface having possibly been roughened by theremoval tools, the lateral member for smoothing the piste surface maycomprise a smoothing blade arranged downstream of the endless chain inthe direction of travel. The smoothing blade may directly follow theendless chain with its removal tools, with removal means and smoothingblade being possibly arranged on a frame.

To simplify cornering movements of the piste vehicle in the half-pipeand/or to adapt the piste-preparation device to half-pipe sectionshaving different widths, the lateral members may be supported to beextensible in a direction transverse to the direction of travel. Acomplete lateral adjustment of the tool with the lateral members canjust as well be achieved through a joint lateral adjustment.

To control, for instance, the removal means separately at the twolateral members in response to the amount of work, each drive roll mayhave assigned thereto a separate, in particular electrical drive.

To cover the lateral members and the rotary snow plow, correspondingcoverings or housings may be provided for. In giving the covering orhousing a corresponding shape, snow that has accumulated in front ofsaid housing may, for instance, be supplied to the rotary snow plow.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention shall now be explained anddescribed in more detail with reference to the figures attached to thedrawing, of which

FIG. 1 is a front view of a piste vehicle with a piste-preparationdevice in a half-pipe;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the piste-preparation deviceaccording to FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a further embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a piste vehicle 3 comprising apiste-preparation device 1 arranged at the front side thereof. Thepiste-preparation device 1 comprises a rotary snow plow 11 as a tool 4,a blower means 13 and two lateral members 6 and 7 which are laterallyarranged relative to the rotary snow plow 11.

The rotary snow plow 11 comprises a shaft 12 which is composed of twosections having oppositely oriented spiral-shaped snow plow means 34 and35 which are rotatably supported in a corresponding snow plow frame 30.A working width of the shaft 11 corresponds essentially to a flat bottompart of a half-pipe 2. This bottom part is followed at both sides byupwardly curved side walls 5 of the half-pipe. The lateral members 6, 7rest on a piste surface 15 formed by the side walls 5.

The piste-preparation device 1 is arranged in the direction of travel 8in front of the piste vehicle 3 and is connected to the vehicle via acorresponding frame (not shown).

A blower means 13 is arranged between piste vehicle 3 and rotary snowplow 11 with an ejection chimney, which is visible in FIG. 1 in front ofa front pane of the piste vehicle. The blower means 13 comprises ablower wheel 36 which in the direction of travel 8 is arranged behindthe rotary snow plow 11 and is arranged essentially in the centerthereof.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the piste-preparation device 1 of theinvention on an enlarged scale and without any coverings or housings.Identical reference numerals mark identical members and are onlymentioned in part.

The lateral members 6 and 7 of the piste-preparation device 1 compriseremoval means 10 having a number of removal tools 9. Each removal means10 is formed by an endless chain 14 which the individual removal toolsproject from essentially in vertical direction. The endless chain 14 isguided over a plurality of wheels or rolls 16. At a piste side 17 of thelateral members 6, 7, the corresponding rolls 16 are designed as contourrolls 18 by which the endless chain 14 is supported in a contour desiredfor the side walls of the half-pipe; see FIG. 1. These contour rolls 18define a removal section 19 in which the individual removal tools 19remove material from the piste surface of the half-pipe. At the ends 20and 21 of the removal section 19, deflection rolls 22 and 23,respectively, are arranged which in comparison with the contour rolls 18have a larger diameter. A first deflection roll 22 is arranged next toan end 24 of the rotary snow plow 11 and the shaft 12 of the rotary snowplow, respectively. A second deflection roll 23 is arranged at an end 25of the lateral member 6 and also of the lateral member 7, the end 25being opposite to the rotary snow plow 11.

The endless chain 14 is deflected upwards by the first deflection roll22 essentially in vertical direction. Next to the end 24 of the rotarysnow plow 11, the endless chain 14 passes through a lifting section 27in which the chain is lifted from the piste surface.

A drive roll 26 which is provided with a drive 33 and which in theillustrated embodiment is designed as a spiked roller is arranged at theend of the lifting section 27. The endless chain 14 is guided away fromthe rotary snow plow 11 by the drive roll 26 and passes through a returnsection 28 up to the second deflection roll 23. No further rolls arearranged in this section 28 for supporting the endless chain, so thatthe chain may have a slack in the return section, depending on therespective chain tension.

In the illustrated embodiment, the endless chain 14 moves in thedirection of movement 37, i.e. from the second deflection roll 23 to thefirst deflection roll 22 towards tool 4. Snow is thereby removed fromthe side walls of the half-pipe, see FIG. 1, towards the rotary snowplow 11.

All of the rolls and wheels, respectively, of the lateral members 6, 7are supported on these members to rotate about the rotational axes 29,said rotational axes extending in parallel with the direction of travel8.

The height of the removal tools 9 defines their working depth 32 up towhich the removal tools can engage into the piste surface.

To adjust the lateral members, thereby varying the working angle of themembers, the lateral members 6, 7 are connected via adjusting cylinders31 to the frame 30 of the rotary snow plow 11. Depending on theactuation of the adjusting cylinders 31, the ends 25 of the lateralmembers 6, 7 are arranged above the rotary snow plow 11 at a more orless high level, thereby varying the contour defined by the bottom sideof the piste-preparation device 1.

As a rule, the lateral members 6, 7 are arranged in the direction oftravel 8 in front of the corresponding tool 4, so that material removedby the removal means 10 from the side walls of the half-pipe cancompletely be supplied to the tool.

For a simplified illustration, further adjusting means for laterallyadjusting the lateral members 6, 7 relative to the tool 4 and for thejoint lateral adjustment of the entire piste-preparation device relativeto the piste vehicle according to FIG. 1 are not shown.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment for a right lateral member 7 accordingto FIG. 2. Identical members are provided with identical referencenumerals and are only mentioned in part.

In contrast to the embodiment of FIG. 2, the endless chain 14 accordingto FIG. 3 comprises transverse webs or chain webs as removal tools 9,which may detachably be secured to the endless chain. In the area of theremoval section 19, the endless chain 14 is guided between a roll 16which is designed as a drive roll 26 and adjacent to an end 24 of thespiral-shaped snow plow means 25, and a deflection roll 23 over contourslide elements 38. These have a convex curvature in accordance with thecontour of the half-pipe side walls.

The endless chain 14 is returned from the deflection roll 23 along anessentially straight path and across a further slide element 38 to thedrive roll 26. This slide element as well as the remaining contour slideelements 38 can adjustably and/or pivotably be supported on acorresponding frame of the lateral member 7. In such a case the slideelements 38 are supported via support arms 42, 43 on a carrier 40extending between the two rotational axes 29 of deflection roll 23 anddrive roll 26. This carrier is pivotably supported relative to therotary snow plow frame 30 at its end assigned to the rotational axis 29of the drive roll 26. A further carrier 41 extends between anarticulation point 44 on the rotary snow plow frame 30 and therotational axis 29 of the deflection roll 23. The adjusting cylinder 31is arranged between the carrier 41 and the snow plow frame 30 foradjusting the lateral member 7.

It should be noted that for example one of the contour slide elementscan be replaced by corresponding contour wheels/rolls according to FIG.2.

What is claimed is:
 1. A piste -preparation device for preparing ahalf-pipe, comprising at least one tool which is adjustably mounted on apiste vehicle, and lateral members which are disposed laterally relativeto said tool and can essentially be assigned to side walls of thehalf-pipe, wherein each lateral member comprises a removal meansdesigned with removal tools which are movable substantially transverselyto the direction of travel of the piste vehicle for preparing a pistesurface of the half-pipe.
 2. The piste-preparation device according toclaim 1, wherein the tool is a rotary snow plow having at least oneshaft and the piste-preparation device further comprises a blower meansassigned to the rotary snow plow for displacing snow supplied by therotary snow plow.
 3. The piste-preparation device according to claim 2,wherein the removal tools are movable essentially towards the rotarysnow plow for removing snow from the half-pipe side wails.
 4. Thepiste-preparation device according to claim 2, wherein the removal meanscomprises at least one endless chain which the plurality of removaltools project therefrom towards the piste surface.
 5. Thepiste-preparation device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality ofwheels or rolls are rotatably supported on the lateral member forguiding the endless chain.
 6. The piste-preparation device according toclaim 4, wherein at a piste side of the lateral member which faces thepiste surface, the endless chain is guided by a number of contourelements along a convexly curved removal section.
 7. Thepiste-preparation device according to claim 6, wherein the contourelements are designed as contour wheels or rolls or contour slideelements.
 8. The piste-preparation device according to claim 6, whereindeflection rolls are arranged at ends of the removal section.
 9. Thepiste-preparation device according to claim 8, wherein a firstdeflection roll is arranged next to an end of the shaft of the rotarysnow plow and a second deflection roll is arranged at the end of thelateral member which is opposite to the rotary snow plow.
 10. Thepiste-preparation device according to claim 9, wherein at least one ofthe contour rolls or, deflection rolls is designed as a drive roll. 11.The piste-preparation device according to claim 10, wherein the driveroll is designed as a toothed roll.
 12. The piste-preparation deviceaccording to claim 10, wherein the drive roll is arranged above thefirst deflection roll, the endless chain between said drive rolls andsaid first deflector roll passing through a substantially verticallifting section and passing through a return section between said driveroll and second deflection roll.
 13. The piste-preparation deviceaccording to claim 8, wherein the rotational axes of all rolls extendessentially in parallel with the direction of travel.
 14. Thepiste-preparation device according to claim 4, wherein the endless chainis guided along the return section without any support.
 15. Thepiste-preparation device according to claim 2, wherein each of thelateral members is adjustably supported at a working angle relative tothe shaft of the rotary snow plow.
 16. The piste-preparation deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the lateral member is detachably securedto a frame of the rotary snow plow for supporting the shaft of therotary snow plow and can be adjusted by an adjusting cylinder betweenthe frame of the rotary snow plow and the lateral member at a workingangle.
 17. The piste-preparation device according to claim 16, whereinsaid adjustment cylinder and a carrier are arranged between the frame ofthe rotary snow plow and the lateral member for intermediatelysupporting and adjusting the lateral member relative to the frame of therotary snow plow.
 18. The piste-preparation device according to claim 4,wherein the endless chain is arranged in the direction of travel infront of the rotary snow plow.
 19. The piste-preparation deviceaccording to claim 4, wherein the removal tools are transverse websarranged on the endless chain.
 20. The piste-preparation deviceaccording to claim 4, wherein the removal tools are scraping elementsdetachably secured to the endless chain.
 21. The piste-preparationdevice according to claim 1, wherein a working depth of the removaltools decreases in the direction of travel, by first treating said pistesurface with removable tools having a smaller working depth and then byremoval tools having a larger working depth.
 22. The piste-preparationdevice according to claim 4, wherein the lateral member comprises asmoothing blade arranged downstream of the endless chain in thedirection of travel for smoothing the piste surface.
 23. Thepiste-preparation device according to claim 1, wherein the lateralmember is extensibly supported in a direction transverse to thedirection of travel.
 24. The piste-preparation device according to claim10, wherein each drive roll has assigned thereto a separate, inparticular electrical drive.